Observations of auroral fading before breakup

The onset of auroral breakup was studied by using a variety of instruments with time resolution of some tens of second. Rapid sequences of all-sky photographs, and fast meridian scans by photometers, show that breakup is usually preceded by moderate brightening, followed by fading of the auroral brightness lasting one or two minutes, before the actual breakup itself. This optical activity is closely correlated with the development of auroral radar echoes. Data from a magnetometer network provide some indication of a correlated response by the local auroral and ionospheric currents. Riometer recordings show a slow decrease in ionspheric radio wave absorption over a period of about ten minutes prior to breakup, with the largest decrease essentially to quiet-time values in the region of auroral fading and subsequent breakup

On auroral dynamics observed by HF radar: 1. Equatorward edge of the afternoon-evening diffuse luminosity belt

International audienceObservations and modelling are presented which illustrate the ability of the Finland CUTLASS HF radar to monitor the afternoon-evening equatorward auroral boundary during weak geomagnetic activity. The subsequent substorm growth phase development was also observed in the late evening sector as a natural continuation of the preceding auroral oval dynamics. Over an 8 h period the CUTLASS Finland radar observed a narrow (in range) and persistent region of auroral F- and (later) E-layer echoes which gradually moved equatorward, consistent with the auroral oval diurnal rotation. This echo region corresponds to the subvisual equatorward edge of the diffuse luminosity belt (SEEL) and the ionospheric footprint of the inner boundary of the electron plasma sheet. The capability of the Finland CUTLASS radar to monitor the E-layer SEEL-echoes is a consequence of the nearly zero E-layer rectilinear aspect angles in a region 5?10° poleward of the radar site. The F-layer echoes are probably the boundary blob echoes. The UHF EISCAT radar was in operation and observed a similar subvisual auroral arc and an F-layer electron density enhancement when it appeared in its antenna beam.Key words: Ionsophere (ionospheric irregularities) · Magnetospheric physics (auroral phenomena; magnetosphere?ionosphere interactions

Intensification of UV-C tertiary treatment : Disinfection and removal of micropollutants by sulfate radical based Advanced Oxidation Processes

This study explores the enhancement of UV-C tertiary treatment by sulfate radical based Advanced Oxidation Processes (SR-AOPs), including photolytic activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and persulfate (PS) and their photocatalytic activation using Fe(II). Their efficiency was assessed both for the inactivation of microorganisms and the removal or micropollutants (MPs) in real wastewater treatment plant effluents. Under the studied experimental range (UV-C dose 5.7-57 J/L; UV-C contact time 3 to 28 s), the photolysis of PMS and PS (0.01 mM) increased up to 25% the bacterial removal regarding to UV-C system. The photolytic activation of PMS led to the total inactivation of bacteria (approximate to 5.70 log) with the highest UV-C dose (57 J/L). However, these conditions were insufficient to remove the MPs, being required oxidant's dosages of 5 mM to remove above 90% of carbamazepine, diclofenac, atenolol and triclosan. The best efficiencies were achieved by the combination of PMS or PS with Fe(II), leading to the total removal of the MPs using a low UV-C dosage (19 J/L), UV-C contact time (9 s) and reagent's dosages (0.5 mM). Finally, high mineralization was reached ( > 50%) with photocatalytic activation of PMS and PS even with low reagent's dosages.Peer reviewe

GOMOS: Gobal Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars

In this paper we report on the progress and status of the Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars (GOMOS) instrument, and imaging spectrometer under development for flight on the European Space Agency's Polar Orbiting Earth Mission (POEM-1) mission in 1998. Employing occultation of stars as a light probe of the Earth's atmosphere from a sun-sychronous polar orbit, the instrument will monitor ozone and other atmospheric trace gases over the entire globe. Atmospheric transmission resolution of approximately 1.7 km. When data are combined regionally, it will be possible to detect ozone concentration trends as small as 0.05 percent/year, depending on the degree of combination